People have become dependent on computers. Now they want to have their computer handy for use at any time. Bag computers such as U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 11/163,763, 11/001,428, 11/796,920 and 11/799,011 introduce a new way to carry and use a computer in a mobile environment. These computers have bag and computer components combined to hold a display on the bag's front so it can pivot into the line of sight of the operator. Among these components may be a removable manual character input device such as a keyboard or electric write pad.
There are many independent keyboards of a wide variety of sizes and arrangements. Most are meant to mount flat on a table to be used with a desk top computer. They are often 1.5 feet across and cannot be reasonably mounted on a bag front. The large number of keys makes the keyboard large and placement of the hands difficult without looking. There have been attempts to mitigate this situation. 20020097227 is a keyboard ten keys wide with one row and thumb keys to designate other needed rows. Although it is compact, the letter keys are not “normal”, a crucial need for typing with two hands. A keyboard with the keys “a” to “;” wide and thumb keys for keys farther to the sides was disclosed as part of a wearable computer in U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,413. U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,799 also used thumb keys.
Minimal or missing distinguishing tactile features further complicates “no look” typing on normal keyboards. Many keyboards have tactile finger references such as the small bumps on the “F” and “J” keys of the standard QWERTY keyboard but these may not be sufficiently obvious for use in the mobile environment. Keyboard U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,839 and 4,778,295 has troughs for keys.
Independent keyboards are occasionally meant to be fastened down and this is usually done with holes on the bottom of the keyboard meant for match fasteners. They are not designed to mount on or to pivot horizontally on a bag front. Laptop, two panel computers have keyboards that fit to their display units but their keyboard is fixed to the computing unit and cannot be separated from it. In the few computers of this type which do have removable keyboards, the keyboards are not configured as major protective cover for the display/computer. For example, Japanese utility model laying-open No. 60-148632 (FIG. 3 and 4 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,858) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,285 are desk tops meant to be used vertically and have a keyboard removably stored on the front of the computer. A keyboard that must be removed for use is a liability in the mobile environment. They are meant to be used on a desk with the keyboard setting on the desk between the operator and the rest of the computer.
Independent desk top keyboards may be connected to the computer with a wire or wireless so that the keyboard can be moved relative to the user. However, because the computer and operator are on opposite side of the keyboard, the keyboard to computer connection does not face the operator.
Other keyboards for mobile use also have drawbacks. For example, independent keyboards which mount on wrist bands cannot be used with two hands. Handheld computer often do not have independent keyboards and cannot be large enough for two hand typing.
What is needed then is a manual character input device made to be removably mounted on a bag front to make it replaceable or exchangeable and to make the bag component less expensive. If the input device is a keyboard, it should have standard size keys and tactile features for two hand typing on the bag front. Such a keyboard should have a surface adapted to cleaning and use in a variety of environments. The input device should be capable of pivoting on the bag front and should have attachments for this purpose to match the bag. The input device should be able to fit the bag computer and, if needed, have alignment structures to fit it to and protect the display and/or computer on the bag front. The input device should have a communication link positioned for the most efficient connection with the bag's computing unit.